What Is a Baby Shower in Australia? A Simple Guide

What is a baby shower in Australia?

A baby shower in Australia is a celebration held before (or sometimes just after) a baby arrives, where family and friends gather to congratulate the parents-to-be, share advice and give gifts for the new arrival. It's part party, part practical send-off — a warm way to "shower" the expecting parents with support before life gets busy.

If you're planning one for the first time, it can feel like there are a lot of unwritten rules. Who hosts it? When do you hold it? What do guests bring? This guide walks you through how baby showers actually work here in Australia, with real ballpark figures and simple planning steps — including how a modern baby shower wishing well can save everyone the guesswork on gifts.

Last updated: June 2026.

Key takeaways

• A baby shower is a pre-birth celebration where guests congratulate the parents-to-be and give gifts for the baby.
• They're usually held in the third trimester, around weeks 28–36, on a weekend afternoon.
• The host is traditionally a close friend, sister or relative — increasingly the parents host their own.
• Typical guest gifts in Australia sit around $30–$80, with closer family often giving more.
• A wishing well lets guests give money toward big-ticket items (pram, cot, car seat) instead of duplicate gifts.

Table of contents

• What a baby shower is and where it came from
• Who hosts a baby shower in Australia
• When baby showers are held
• What happens at a baby shower
• Baby shower gifts and a typical-amount guide
• What a baby shower wishing well is
• Frequently asked questions

What a baby shower is and where it came from {#what-a-baby-shower}

A baby shower is a social gathering that celebrates a coming baby and supports the parents-to-be. The name comes from the idea of "showering" the expecting parent with gifts, good wishes and practical help for the months ahead.

In Australia, baby showers are usually relaxed, daytime affairs — think afternoon tea, grazing platters, a few games and plenty of chatting. They're less formal than a wedding and far more casual than the elaborate productions you might see on American TV.

Traditionally the focus was on the mum-to-be, but that's shifting. Plenty of Australian couples now hold joint showers, and partners, dads and non-birthing parents are increasingly part of the day. Some families also blend the celebration with a gender reveal if they've chosen to find out and want to share the news.

Who hosts a baby shower in Australia {#who-hosts}

The host is traditionally someone close to the parents-to-be — a best friend, sister, mum or aunt — rather than the expecting parent themselves. The idea was that it felt awkward to throw a party where you're the one receiving gifts.

That etiquette has loosened a lot. These days it's completely normal for the parents-to-be to host their own shower, or to co-host it with a friend who handles the surprise elements. There's no judgement either way — what matters is that someone takes charge of the date, the guest list and the venue.

Hosting tip: decide early who's "running" the day, even for a casual shower. One clear organiser keeps the invitations, the gift list and the catering from falling through the cracks.

Showers are often held at home, in a backyard, at a café or function room, or even at a park for a picnic-style gathering. Cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth all have plenty of cafés and small venues that take baby shower bookings, but a living room with good cake works just as well.

When baby showers are held {#when-held}

Most Australian baby showers happen in the third trimester, roughly between weeks 28 and 36 of pregnancy. That window is late enough to feel celebratory and "real", but early enough that the mum-to-be is usually still comfortable and not too close to the due date.

A weekend afternoon is the most common slot — Saturday or Sunday, somewhere between 1pm and 4pm, so it can centre on afternoon tea rather than a full meal.

Some families wait until after the baby arrives and hold a "sip and see" or meet-the-baby gathering instead, especially in cultures where celebrating before the birth isn't traditional. Both are perfectly fine. If you're unsure, take your lead from the parents-to-be and what feels right for them.

What happens at a baby shower {#what-happens}

A typical Australian baby shower is low-key and centred on food, chatting and a few light activities. There's no fixed running order, but most include some mix of the following.

• Food and drinks — usually afternoon tea: grazing boards, sandwiches, cake, tea, coffee and often a mocktail so the mum-to-be can join in.
• Games — gentle, optional fun like guess-the-baby-photo, "guess the due date", or a nappy-changing race. Keep them short.
• Gift opening — the parents-to-be open presents, or thank guests for contributions to a wishing well.
• Advice and well-wishes — a guestbook or card where people write a message or a tip for the early days.

You don't need every element. A genuinely lovely shower can be as simple as good people, good cake and a relaxed couple of hours. The point is connection and support, not a perfectly styled event.

Baby shower gifts and a typical-amount guide {#gifts-guide}

Baby shower gifts in Australia usually fall in the $30–$80 range for friends and colleagues, with close family often giving more or pitching in on a larger item. Across the baby shower wishing wells run through PocketWell, individual contributions have typically landed in roughly the $130–$175 band per gift in recent months — higher than a token present, because money tends to go toward the things that genuinely help.

Here's a rough guide to what's normal by relationship. Treat these as ballparks, not rules — budget, closeness and your own circumstances matter more than any chart.

Methodology note: these ranges reflect real gifting patterns seen across PocketWell baby shower pages, alongside widely accepted Australian gift etiquette. Your own budget always comes first.

Popular physical gifts include clothing in larger sizes (newborn clothes get outgrown fast), nappies, wraps, baby carriers and books. The catch is that popular items get doubled up — three families can easily arrive with the same onesie. That's exactly why many parents now point guests toward a wishing well or use a baby shower wishing well calculator to work out a sensible suggested amount.

What a baby shower wishing well is {#wishing-well}

A baby shower wishing well is a way for guests to give money toward what the baby actually needs, instead of bringing a physical present. The name borrows from the wedding tradition: rather than a registry of objects, guests contribute to a shared "well" the parents put toward big-ticket items.

For a new baby, those big items add up fast — a pram, a cot, a car seat and a baby capsule can run into thousands of dollars. Pooled contributions help cover them without anyone feeling they have to buy a whole pram alone.

An online wishing well makes this simple. The parents (or the host) create a personalised page, share the link or a QR code with guests, and people contribute securely from their phones using Apple Pay, Google Pay or a card. PocketWell is free for hosts — no setup fees, no subscriptions — and hosts receive 100% of the gift amount. Guests cover a small 3.5% platform fee plus standard payment processing, shown before they pay.

Payouts are sent weekly on Tuesdays via Stripe, with most arriving 1–3 business days later (the first payout takes 5–7 business days while Stripe verifies the account). It's never an instant transfer, so plan around that timing if you're buying a big item soon after the shower.

Want gifts that actually help? Set up a free baby shower wishing well and let guests chip in toward the pram, cot or nappy fund from their phones.

If a friend or colleague is heading off on leave around the same time, some groups also run a separate maternity leave gift collection so workmates can contribute together rather than chasing cash around the office.

Frequently asked questions {#faqs}

Q: What exactly is a baby shower in Australia?

A: A baby shower in Australia is a celebration held before a baby is born — usually in the third trimester — where family and friends gather to congratulate the parents-to-be, share advice and give gifts for the baby. It's typically a relaxed weekend afternoon with food, a few games and some gift-giving. The tone is casual and warm rather than formal. Increasingly, parents host their own or hold a joint shower, and many now set up a baby shower wishing well so guests can contribute money toward bigger items instead of bringing duplicate presents.

Q: Who pays for a baby shower in Australia?

A: Traditionally the host pays for the baby shower — that's usually a close friend, sister or relative who organises the day. In practice, costs are often shared: a few friends might split the catering and venue, or the parents-to-be cover some of it when they host their own. There's no fixed rule. Keeping the event simple — afternoon tea at home rather than a hired venue — keeps costs low, and the day is about support and connection, not spending big.

Q: When should you have a baby shower?

A: Most Australian baby showers are held in the third trimester, roughly weeks 28 to 36. That's late enough to feel celebratory but early enough that the mum-to-be is usually still comfortable and not too close to her due date. A weekend afternoon is the most popular choice. Some families prefer to wait until after the birth and hold a "meet the baby" gathering instead — both are completely acceptable. Take your cue from the parents-to-be and what suits their pregnancy and culture.

Q: How much money do you give at a baby shower?

A: Most guests give around $30–$80, depending on how close you are to the parents. Colleagues and acquaintances often give $20–$40, friends $40–$70, and close family typically more — sometimes contributing toward a major item like a pram or cot. If the parents have a wishing well, a money contribution in that range is perfectly appropriate. You can sanity-check a suggested amount with a gift amount calculator. Your own budget always comes first — a heartfelt card and a modest gift are never wrong.

Q: What's the difference between a baby shower and a gender reveal?

A: A baby shower celebrates the coming baby and showers the parents with gifts and support, usually later in the pregnancy. A gender reveal is specifically about announcing the baby's sex, often earlier and as a shorter, single-focus moment. Some families combine the two into one event, while others keep them separate. If you're doing both, you can set up a dedicated gender reveal page alongside your shower planning so each celebration has its own clear focus.

Q: How do the fees and payouts work on a wishing well?

A: For hosts, a PocketWell wishing well is free — no setup fees, no subscriptions, and you receive 100% of every gift. Guests cover a 3.5% platform fee plus standard payment processing, which is shown to them before they pay. Payouts are sent weekly on Tuesdays via Stripe, with most arriving 1–3 business days later; the very first payout takes 5–7 business days while your account is verified. It's never an instant transfer. You can read the full breakdown on the PocketWell FAQ before you create your page.

Q: Do you have to bring a gift to a baby shower?

A: A gift is customary but never compulsory. If you're invited, bringing something — a small present, nappies, a book, or a contribution to the wishing well — is the usual thing to do, but the parents-to-be value your presence far more than the size of the gift. If money is tight, a thoughtful card, a home-cooked meal for the early newborn weeks, or an offer to help out after the birth are all genuinely appreciated. The point of the day is support, not spending.

Final tips for a great baby shower

A good baby shower in Australia comes down to a few simple things: pick a comfortable date in the third trimester, keep the event relaxed, and make gift-giving easy on your guests. Sorting out the gift side early — whether that's a short list of needed items or a wishing well for the big-ticket purchases — saves everyone the doubled-up-onesie problem and means contributions go where they're actually useful.

For trustworthy, non-commercial pregnancy and newborn information, the government-funded Raising Children Network is a reliable Australian starting point, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics publishes the national births data behind all these celebrations.

Ready to make baby shower gifts simple? Create your free baby shower wishing well — it's free for hosts, takes minutes to set up, and your guests can give from their phones toward the things your new arrival really needs.